Air-lift footpiece



A. 8. JENNINGS.

MR LIFT FOOTPIECE.

yAPPLICATION men ma. 20. me.

Patented June 15, 1920.

ARTHUR B. JENNINGS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AIR-LIFT FOOTPIECE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 15, 1920.

Application led February 20, 1918. Serial No. 218,216.

To all 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR B. JEN- NINGs, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at New York, in the county and State of New York, haveinvented a new and useful Air-Lift Footpiece, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to the raising of water, and especially toraising water with compressed air, and the object of the invention is toprovide a simple and efficient device for utilizing compressed air; afurther object of my invention is to provide an airlft so constructedthat all of the ascending waters will be directly acted upon by thecompressed air thereby eliminating any pockets oi' water which 'wouldhave to be carried upward through the pressure of water acted upon bythe air pressure and insuring that all the ascending water will come incontact with the air currents.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which-Figure l, is a side elevation oi an air-lift foot piece constructed inaccordance with my invention-the position of a part of the air inletsand part of the directing plates being indicated with dotted lines.

Fig. 2, is a sectional view, on the line 2*2 of Fig. 1 and Fig. 3, is asectional view on an enlarged scale of a part of the construction.

In the drawing like numerals of referJ ence refer to the same parts ineach of the views.

In carrying out my invention it is my purpose to force a column of Waterup a pipe or Hue having an open top, or water take ofi', only thecommencement of which is shown in the drawing at 4. The inventionitseltl relates to the footpiece; and l lhave illustrated this portionin a manner to show clearly how my invention is applied and operated.

As shown in the drawings, my footpiece consists of a plurality of doublewalled water tubes -5- separated by corresponding air tubes 6, all ofwhich are in communication with an airpipe 7. leading to any suitablesource of air supply, whereby each tube 6. will be filled with aircompressed 'suilciently to prevent the pressure of water from the pipe 4entering any of these tubes, as will be understood.

In Fig. 3 I have shown on an enlarged scale the bottom of one of thewater tubes 5 and a part ot' the bottom of two of the air tubes G. Fromthis figure it will be seen that the tubes 5 are all open at the bottomso that all of these tubes are in direct communication with the water 8,in which the foot piece is substantially submerged as illustrated inFig. l but held from engagement with the bottom of the reservoir so thatthe water is free to enter the bottom of the tubes. The air-tubes G areclosed top and bottom, and are provided with a plurality oi short tubes9, which project through the separating walls 10, between thc air andwater tubes; and are preferably arranged spirally. as illustrated indotted lines in Fig. -1. Thus air is free to enter the water tubesthrough any of the tubes 9, and these tubes are so directed that theforce of the entering air will be forwardly and upwardly, as will beclear.

To insure the proper How of the water and air at the bottom of the footpiece I' prefer to use incline plates ll, as indicated in dotted linesin Fig. l, and as shown in plan in Fig. 2. These plates permit the treeentrance of water to the several water tubes; but as the air is directedforwardly and upwardly, the plates will prevent the air forcing thewater down within the tubes at the bottom. thereby causing anuninterrupted upward flow, as will be clear.

The operation of the footpiece is as follows: The air-litt footpiece isbuilt or partly submerged in a reservoir or any water which it isdesirous to raise to a higher level. When so submerged it is evidentthat the water willstand at a level in the water pipes coincident withthe level ofthe water in the reservoir. When com pressed air is admittedto the tubes 6 under suilicient pressure it will escape through all thetubes 9, into the several water tubes; and as the tubes 9. are alldirected upwardly. and the plates 1l. prevent a downward pressure theair will cause the water to How upwardly through the footpiece to thepipe 4, and through that to the desired height as will be clear.

Where the tubes 9 are arranged spirally as indicated in dotted lines inFig. 1 the flow of the water will be spirally upward thereby insuringthe entrance of additional air to the ascending water before theperpendicular ascent has much increased, as will be clear.

In Fig. 3 is illustrated in a somewhat diagrammatic manner the action ofthe air upon the Water. It will be noted that as constructed the watertubes are comparatively limited in Width. In practice these tubes are solimited in width and the tubes 9, are so disposed that the waterentering the tubes 5, through the tubes 9, will meet a short distanceabove the respective tubes as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 3 andafter meetinf will spread out and disseminate througli the Water asindicated, thereby insuring that all the water within any of the tubes 5will come into direct contact with the entering compressed air, and willbc carried upward by the direct application of the air, and no pocketswill be formed within the Water tubes in which water will be free fromthe direct application of the compressed air currents.

The device is simple in construction and efficient in action and themaximum of lifting power is secured.

VVhiIe I have shown and described the tubes 5 and 6 as being circular,or cylindrical in form, it is evident that they may be any shape. It isnot necessary either that the tubes 9 be arranged spirally, as theessential feature of my invention lies in the narrowness of theascending water column to thoroughly commingle with all parts of theascending water.

1. In an air-lift foot piece a water tube having a compressed airchamber on the outer and inner side thereof, and having a port enteringthe same from each compressed air chamber.

2. An air-lift foot piece comprising a plurality of cylindrical Watertubes, compressed air tubes on the outer and inner side of said Watertubes, said water tubes having a port enteringr the same from the airtubes at each side for the purpose set forth.

3. An air lift foot piece comprising,r a plurality of cylindrical watertubes open at the bottom, a compressed air chamber on each side of eachof said water tubes, and a plurality of short tubes passing through thewalls intervening,r between the water tubes and the respectivecompressed air chambers, said short tubes being directed upwardlywhereby air is admitted to the water tubes in an upwardly-directedmanner for the purpose set forth.

4. An air-lift foot piece comprising a plurality of Water tubes open atthe bottom, a plurality of compressed air tubes so disposed that the airtubes will lie on opposite sides of each water tube, said air tubesbeing closed at the bottom, a plurality of short tubes placing said airtubes in communication with said Water tubes on each side, said shorttubes being directed upwardly in said water tubes, for the purpose setforth.

5. In an air-lift foot piece a Water tube open at the bottom, acompressed air chamber at each side of said water tube. an ineline platemounted at the bottom of the Water tube, and an air-inlet port at eachside of said water tube above said plate, for the purpose set forth.

G.. An airlit't foot-piece comprising' a plurality of cylindrical watertubes open at the bottom, each water tube haring a plurality of inclineplates mounted in the bottom thereof a plurality of compressed air tubesclosed at the bottom, and air tube being on each side oi each of saidwater tubes, a plurality of short tubes mounted in the walls between thewater tubes and the air tubes, and short tubes being oppositely disposedand directed upwardly, and a part of said short tubes being; mountedbetween said plates, for the purpose forth.

7. An air lift footpiece comprising a plu rality of cylindrical watertubes open :et the bottom and the top, each water tube having. aplurality of inclined plates disposed around the bottom thereof, a.plurality of conuiressed air tubes closed at tln` bottom an air tubebeing on cach side of said water tubes, a plurality ot' short tubesmounted inthe walls between the water tubes and air tubes, said shorttubes beingr oppositely disposed and arranged in a spiral manner, thatthe water shall be driven by the impact of compressed air into anascending spiral or screw like action for the purpose set forth.

Dated this fourteenth day of February, 1918.

ARTHUR B. JENNIN iS.

witnessed by- HENRY G. Fnrrscrm.

